Theos-Talk Archives (March 2003 Message tt00003)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Katinka Hesselink <mail@k...>" 
<mail@k...> wrote:
> Hi Steve,
> 
> As you perhaps know, the below argument is precisely why the Dutch 
> condone soft-drug use, and have a legalized abortion-practice. 

If that is so, then I applaud their good sense. Actually, abortion 
is legal here as well, and in the third trimester, which I believe is 
prohibited in Europe. But the Catholic church takes the position 
that it is the appropriate function of the state to enforce Catholic 
religious taboos on people who happen not to practice Catholicism. 
The argument goes something like this:y

1. The Catholic church says murder is a sin
2. The state says murder is a crime
3. Therefore, the basis of the legal policies of the state is 
Catholic theology

4. The Catholic church says abortion is a sin
5. The state exists to enforce Catholic taboos
6. Therefore abortions must be criminalized.

The fallacy, which most people cannot see, is that (3) above is a non 
sequitur and (5) above which depends on (3) is a patently false 
statement. Having been deliberately confused about the secular basis 
for the law, they will soon be urging that everyone's lunch be 
searched on Fridays to see if anyone is eating tuna salad.